Central Notes: Nocioni, Pistons, Kaman, Walton
The Bulls are the class of the Central Division and the league, topping the NBA with a 36-10 mark heading into tonight's game with the Sixers. Here's what's happening with a couple of other teams in the division trying to build toward what Chicago has now:
- Don't expect to see Andres Nocioni back with the Bulls as the team would add a shooting guard or a big man if they were to make an addition, tweets Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald. The Sixers released the forward this morning.
- According to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, the Pistons were not in the running for Patrick Mills, who is close to joining the Spurs (Twitter link). That contradicts an earlier report from Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
- Langlois also looks at the patient approach of Pistons GM Joe Dumars and passes along that Detroit may look to sign Chris Kaman, a Michigan native, as a free agent in the offseason.
- New Cav Luke Walton, acquired this week in the Ramon Sessions deal, said he and Lakers coach Mike Brown "weren't on the same page" in L.A., according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Nonetheless, Walton was still caught off guard by the trade. Cleveland coach Byron Scott is complimentary of Walton's skills and basketball IQ, but isn't sure what his role will be, Amico writes.
Kyler On Rockets, Gasol, Pacers, Blazers, Smith
In his NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler reported that Dwight Howard is highly unlikely to change his mind again, but that the Magic seem to have a deal they'd do with the Nets if Howard waffles once more. You can follow all of today's Howard updates here, and check out the rest of Kyler's morning notes below:
- The Rockets are discussing more than half their roster in trades, having offered around Terrence Williams, Jonny Flynn, Jordan Hill, Chase Budinger, Patrick Patterson, Luis Scola, Hasheem Thabeet and Courtney Lee. According to Kyler, Houston would trade any combination of those players to acquire Chris Kaman.
- The Bulls want Lee, but aren't likely to meet the Rockets' asking price, which would mean parting with Taj Gibson or Omer Asik. The Pacers and Timberwolves are also eyeing Lee.
- Houston has a standing offer out to the Lakers for Pau Gasol, but it doesn't include Kyle Lowry, so nothing is expected to happen there.
- If the Blazers' three-team deal with the Timberwolves and Lakers involving Jamal Crawford falls through, Portland may have a backup trade in place with the Pacers.
- The Magic won't be able to make a move for Josh Smith, which isn't a surprise. One league source tells Kyler the Hawks want an All-Star frontcourt player in exchange for Smith, so a deal is very unlikely.
Warriors Leaning Toward Keeping Jackson
9:57pm: Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group says four or five teams have called the Warriors about Jackson, but no offers have been compelling enough to force a move. If the team doesn't make a trade, they're likely to pick up a player to fill out the roster after the deadline.
1:37pm: Shortly after the Warriors completed the five-player deal that brought Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson to Golden State, reports indicated the team would like to trade Jackson elsewhere before the deadline. However, according to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Warriors are now "leaning toward keeping" S-Jax.
As Sam Amick of SI.com wrote today, flipping Jackson would be difficult not only because of his $10MM+ cap figure for next season, but also because he still hasn't passed a physical with the Warriors. The team would have a very small window to deal him before tomorrow's deadline.
According to Simmons, the Warriors could consider buying out Jackson, but such a move is unlikely, since Mark Jackson would like a chance to coach him and Golden State is lacking active players.
Kyler On Smith, Magic, Bulls
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld passed along a few goodies on Twitter, so let's take a look (all Twitter links, of course):
- The Magic are one of multiple teams trying to get the Hawks to change their minds about keeping Josh Smith, even though it's a long shot. One potential scenario would have the Magic sending Jason Richardson to the Wolves and Ryan Anderson to the Hawks while Michael Beasley would go to Atlanta. Ownership would be reluctant to do that deal because they believe Smith is worth twice that price. David Aldridge of NBA.com tweets that no such talks between the Magic and Hawks have taken place.
- The rumored three-team trade involving the Lakers, Wolves and Blazers is just one of the options the Wolves have.
- The Bulls are eyeing Courtney Lee, and would look to Raja Bell as a fallback.
- Kyler is much more confident about the Mavs' chances of landing Deron Williams now that Dwight Howard is close to committing to the Magic for next season.
Bulls Exploring Pau Gasol Trade; Deal Unlikely
WEDNESDAY, 12:09pm: Negotiations between the Lakers and Bulls about Gasol may have fallen apart when Chicago was unable to find a third team to facilitate the deal, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. An East GM said of the talks: "I think that died on the vine."
TUESDAY, 9:56pm: If a deal between the Lakers and Bulls involving Gasol were to materialize past the exploratory talks, it looks as though there are some major financial obstacles to overcome, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
There are major luxury tax implications for both teams, and while there are expiring contracts for the Bulls to offer, it isn't likely that cap relief will help get the deal done. Taking on the remaining three years of Boozer's contract could have a dire effect on the franchise, as they could be subject to more prohibitive penalties as a luxury tax-paying team, writes Johnson.
K.C. also cites the Los Angeles Times, saying that the Lakers have reportedly asked for Joakim Noah, an unknown player, and two first-round picks in exchange for Gasol.
3:34pm: The Bulls are exploring avenues to try to trade for Pau Gasol, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Chicago has been linked to Gasol multiple times in recent weeks, though this is the first time we've heard that they're actively pursuing trade scenarios for the Lakers' big man.
According to Stein, the Lakers have limited interest in the players the Bulls could offer for Gasol, including Carlos Boozer. Stein hears that for a deal to have any chance of working, a third team would likely have to get involved, and the Bulls haven't found that third team yet, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. The Lakers, who continue to talk to other clubs about potential Gasol trades, prefer to receive a top point guard if they're going to deal the Spaniard — and Chicago certainly won't be moving its top point guard.
The Rockets have also been aggressive in their pursuit of Gasol, though Houston's unwillingness to include Kyle Lowry in such a deal was a roadblock in those discussions. According to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak has been telling people recently that he doesn't anticipate a Gasol trade will happen before Thursday's deadline.
Central Notes: Bulls, Pistons, Sessions
The Bucks have already made a big splash, and may not be done dealing, but other Central Division teams don't seem to be expecting much activity before tomorrow's deadline. Here's the latest out of the division:
- The Bulls aren't expected to make any major moves before the deadline, a source tells Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times. It seems that re-signing Mike James may be the biggest move Chicago makes this week.
- No trades are imminent for the Pistons, says coach Lawrence Frank. Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press says Detroit would love to move the Ben Gordon or Charlie Villanueva contracts if they could find a taker.
- Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer makes an argument for why the Cavaliers should trade Ramon Sessions, noting that it wouldn't necessarily ruin the team's playoff chances. The Magic are the latest team to be linked to Sessions.
Bulls Re-Sign Mike James To 10-Day Contract
The Bulls have re-signed Mike James to a second 10-day contract, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. The signing has been officially announced by the team in a press release.
With Derrick Rose's status uncertain for tonight's game due to groin soreness, James will provide backcourt depth. Though this will be James' third stint with the Bulls in 2011/12, the team won't be required to sign him for the rest of the season, since the 36-year-old had only signed one 10-day contract so far.
Despite only appearing in seven games for the Bulls this year, James has been productive in limited action, averaging 6.1 points and 3.6 assists in 12.3 minutes per game.
Kevin Martin Frustrated With Role
Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld hears from a source close to Kevin Martin that the shooting guard is tired of the inconsistent and unexplained rotation choices for the Rockets. Although he's close with Courtney Lee, Martin is frustrated about losing playing time to his Rockets teammate — Martin has played less than 20 minutes in each of Houston's last three games.
According to Ingram, the "word out of Houston" has Lee as the more likely trade candidate than Martin, since the Rockets prefer the 29-year-old. The Bulls, Clippers, Pacers, and Timberwolves are among the teams thought to have some level of interest in Lee, so the Rockets figure to receive plenty of inquiries before Thursday's trade deadline.
Sam Amick of SI.com noted yesterday that a number of Rockets might welcome a trade, and Ingram suggests that some Houston players are "rapidly tiring" of coach Kevin McHale and GM Daryl Morey. The Rockets' situation bears watching in the next couple days, since a roster overhaul isn't out of the question.
Odds & Ends: Sixers, Martin, Jennings
Sixers president Rod Thorn says Philadelphia will likely be quiet at the trade deadline, according to the Philadelphia Daily News’ Bob Cooney. When you combine Evan Turner‘s recent transformation into a serious impact starter with the eventual return of injured center Spencer Hawes, who was playing the best basketball of his career before going down, the 76ers aren’t exactly in a position of need. Any trade could screw up one of the league’s most symbiotic rosters.
- Rockets guard Kevin Martin says he’s frustrated with his up and down play as of late, and knows it could be the difference as to what team he’s on by the end of March, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen. The loss of Kyle Lowry, who’s out at least two weeks with a bacterial infection, may have an impact on whether or not the Rockets choose to move Martin. If they want to make the playoffs this year, they can’t afford to remove their starting backcourt from the equation and expect to compete on a nightly basis.
- Brandon Jennings appears to be flustered by an SI report earlier this week that said he was available “for the right price.”
- In a column over at Hoopsworld.com, Joel Brigham says that Dwight Howard should be dealt to Chicago, but the Bulls will never pull the trigger. In the piece, Brigham criticizes Chicago for over-valuing its homegrown talent. He cites the team’s refusal to go after Pau Gasol and Kevin Garnett in year’s past as evidence that it’s unlikely they’ll make a rightful run at Howard before Thursday’s deadline.
- ESPNBoston.com’s Chris Forsberg tweets some interesting words from Celtics GM Danny Ainge says “there’s nothing going on right now” and that “we need another big body for sure, at some point.” The words seem to mean that if Boston doesn’t swing a deal before the deadline, they’ll either pursue someone from the D-league or a bought out player. Injuries to Jermaine O’Neal and Chris Wilcox have depleted the team’s front court.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Monday
It may seem like we're only a few days away from getting closure on the Dwight Howard saga, but as Magic coach Stan Van Gundy points out, only one scenario results in real closure for the Magic.
"There's closure, I guess, if he goes," Van Gundy said (via Tim Bontemps of the New York Post). "If he stays [past Thursday], it just starts all over again. You just start the clock again. Then we're right back to where we were when the playoffs ended last year. Everybody will be talking about, 'OK, what's going to happen in the summer? And what's going to happen next year?'"
Still, Thursday should provide at least some hint of what Howard's future holds, and Van Gundy doesn't expect resolution before deadline day. Here are today's updates on Howard, with the latest up top:
- The Nets aren't content to sit back and wait for Howard to come to them via free agency — New Jersey would give up assets at the deadline to ensure they land the big man, tweets Kyler. Kyler hears from Nets sources that the team's offer is better than Magic sources are claiming (Twitter link).
- If he's going to change teams, Howard prefers free agency because he doesn't want a club to gut its roster to acquire him. And if he's a free agent, Howard's three-team list "goes out the window," according to SI.com's Chris Mannix (Twitter links). Mannix identifies the Clippers and Heat as two teams that would interest Howard in free agency, though there'd be cap obstacles in each case (Twitter link).
- Mannix has been told "unequivocally" that Howard isn't interested in signing with the Bulls (Twitter link).
- Magic fans may prefer a trade now rather than losing Howard for nothing this summer, but Orlando is receiving mostly lowball offers, reports Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Teams on Howard's list know he'll test free agency this summer anyway, while teams not on his list aren't inclined to give up a lot for a potential rental.
- As Ken Berger of CBS Sports wrote last night, the Bulls are a preferred trade partner for the Magic. However, Chicago won't pursue Howard without assurances he'd re-sign, and Howard seems reluctant to add the Bulls to his list of desired destinations. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld says Howard would be Derrick Rose's sidekick, rather than the face of the franchise, in Chicago, an idea that doesn't appeal to D12 (Twitter links).
- Magic sources still say they're not expecting a Howard trade, Kennedy adds in a separate tweet.
- In their frequent meetings with Howard, the Magic aren't necessarily trying to convince him to sign in Orlando long-term, says ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (video link). The Magic would be happy if Dwight agreed not to opt out of the final year of his contract — that would give Orlando more time and assets to try to bring in help around Howard next season.
- Broussard adds that he still believes the Nets are the most likely destination if Howard is traded this week.